Alcohol and Weight Loss

ALately I’ve been challenging myself to give up all alcohol in pursuit of my ideal weight, and instead of feeling deprived, I’ve turned my attitude around, even finding that I love all the choices of fun, healthy drinks without the guilt.

It’s no secret that alcohol sabotages weight loss – for a few reasons:

• When you have alcohol in your system – your body’s priority is to break it down before anything else – meaning burning fat gets put down further on the list of things to do.
• It’s easier to make bad choices in food – and may increase your hunger (and craving for fatty, greasy, bad carb food).
• You may not feel like getting up early the day after a few drinks to ‘kill it at the gym’- more likely the couch and a good book.

Those reasons alone should be enough to keep us motivated to stay on the path of abstaining from alcohol – at least while trying to reach your goals, but it isn’t always easy.

Most of us are really good at drinking water, seltzer and tea throughout the week to make sure we stay hydrated without adding calories, sugar, additives, colorings and other ingredients we don’t want in our body. But there are times, specifically that Friday night cocktail hour or drinks with friends on the weekend, birthday parties, barbeques etc. that we don’t want to feel left out of the fun.

For starters, you can request many of your favorite cocktails without alcohol. For example, one of my favorites, Gin and tonic- minus the gin gives me what I really like most about the drink – tonic and lime. Mojitos and Margaritas are especially good and even the classic Bloody Mary – virgin or course, hits the spot.

The benefit of ‘alcohol-free’ drinks is that you can enjoy your favorite ‘adult beverage’ without sabotaging your weight loss efforts and as an added bonus – no fuzziness, poor sleep, increased appetite or worse – a hangover the next morning.

For something different, you can find countless recipes online that are creative and satisfying – and can even take it one step further. There are a number of companies that make alcohol-free drinks and ship them directly to you! One of my new favorites is Curious Elixirs www.curiouselixirs.com. Here’s why: “We created Curious Elixirs because we couldn't find nonalcoholic drinks that were unusually delicious, well-crafted, and good for our bodies and souls.”

The elixirs are handcrafted in the Hudson River Valley, using only the best ingredients and nothing artificial. The cocktails combine ONLY organic juices, spices, herbs, roots, barks, and botanicals. In fact, one of the ingredients in Curious Elixir #1 includes a unique superfood and adaptogen blend that's not only delicious but also supplies antioxidants, increases circulation, and fights fatigue. Sounds like GOLO, right? Here’s why: Curious Elixir #1 contains Rhodiola Rosea– one of the ingredients in Release. This elixir is my favorite so far, because it reminds me of a Negroni.

If you are looking to follow your GOLO plan as close as possible, try to limit or avoid alcohol – at least temporarily. Get creative, experiment with ingredients and check out Curious Elixirs. According to Curious Agent #1 – you can get a discount as a new customer.

Jen Brooks, GOLO President

GOLO® is committed to providing you with the helpful tips and resources needed for personal success on a lifelong journey of health and wellness. It’s time to become #YourBestYou.

Sources:

Alcohol Consumption and Obesity: An Update | SpringerLink

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